The Related Applications set forth above, and incorporated herein by reference, set forth in considerable detail apparatus and methods for bending or folding sheet material to form three-dimensional structures. Flat sheets are provided with a plurality of folding structures which will produce folding of the sheets along fold lines that can very precisely be controlled. The folding structures are typically slits, grooves or displacements that are positioned on alternating sides of a desired fold line so as to define spaced-apart bending or folding straps that precisely control folding of the sheet. Most preferably, the folding structures also produce edge-to-face engagement of the sheet material on opposite sides of the folding structures to further enhance folding precision and structural strength.
The folded sheets of the Related Applications often have been used to produce three-dimensional structures in which free or adjacent edges of the sheets are folded into abutting or overlapping relation and then are joined together to stabilize the resulting structure against unfolding. The previous techniques for securing the edges of the folded sheets together have varied considerably, depending upon the application, but in many instances the sheet edges have merely been joined together using standard fasteners such as screws, rivets, other mechanical fasteners, and/or welding, brazing or adhesives.
One of the very substantial advantages of the apparatus and method of the Related Applications is the ability to fold sheet material with both great precision and complexity using low folding forces. Precise and complex folding of sheet material allows techniques for joining the edges of the sheet material to be based upon precise registration of the edges at the end of the folding process so that joinder structures provided at, or proximate to the edges can be folded into registration with each other for the purpose of coupling the joinder structure together against separation of the edges.
The complexity with which sheets can be folded using the techniques set forth in the Related Applications allows a great reduction in the number of separate parts required to create a structure. Further reducing the number of parts by eliminating separate mechanical fasteners, therefore, is highly desirable, and elimination of separate welding, soldering and adhesive bonding steps also reduces the cost associated with the finished part.
Moreover, the precise sheet folding systems of the Related Applications can be applied to a wide range of sheet thicknesses. Thus, fastener-free sheet edge joining should also be capable of being used in applications requiring high strength joinder of the sheet edges.
What is needed is an apparatus and method to employ the ability to precisely fold sheet material in a manner which will allow fastener-free, high strength, low cost joinder of edges of the sheet material.
What is needed is an apparatus and method to provide an apparatus and method for forming enclosures or housings for various purposes, including the enclosure of electrical components, which apparatus and method lend themselves to efficient and low-cost manufacturing processes.
The apparatus and method of the present invention have other objects and features of advantage which will become apparent from, or are set forth in more detail in, the accompanying drawing and Detailed Description Of The Invention.